Utilizing SEO

According to Mashable, Search Engine Optimization is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines via the “natural” or un-paid (“organic” or “algorithmic”) search results. In other words, if a person or company wants more traffic on its website, it needs to have awesome search engine optimization.

The question is, how does one boost their SEO?

It all comes back to engagement and knowing your audience. What is your audience going to search for? What key words will they use?

This is a great blog post better explaining SEO and why it is so essential to companies success.

Creating dialogue and having an ongoing conversations on Facebook and Twitter greatly increases the chance of a having a great SEO. Why? Because consumers are talking about what they want to talk about.  When someone writes on a company’s Facebook wall, chances are they are going to mention a product or something related to the company.

Sprinkles Cupcakes does a great job manipulating its SEO.  Look at its google search results page, everything on the first page is related to the brand, and almost all of it is social media related.  This blog post better explains why social media is becoming essential to a company’s SEO.

Why I think Sprinkles is successful with its SEO is related to my last blog post.  Sprinkles does TONS of giveaways.  Usually, the company will Facebook or Tweet a “secret” code word that if the customer “whispers” at Sprinkles, he or she will receive a free cupcake!

Social media users will then retweet or share the freebie on their own accounts.

Sprinkles also has individual Facebook’s for each of their locations where it also does freebies and giveaways. This increases the companies SEO because it has yet another outlet where there is a conversation going on regarding the brand.

Tags: Facebook, search engine optimization, sprinkles cupcakes, twitter

Promotions and Contests. What do they do?

To socially engage an audience, a company needs to have something to offer.  This isn’t always the case, but if you’re a new company hoping to increase the amount of “likes” on your Facebook page or a trying to get more people to follow you on Twitter, it helps.

Social Engagement, as defined by a blog called Creativity Matters, is active involvement in the community and with other people, not for the sake of being involved, but to accomplish something of meaning and value for the community.  While this definition was not meant for social media purposes, it fits well because this is exactly what companies are trying to accomplish in the realm of social media.

Promotions and contests play a direct role in creating and maintaining a community.   Brian Solis offers great statistics about what consumers are looking for and why, when they are on social media sites.  In order to attract consumers, companies need to keep a few things in mind:

• Know your audience
• Know what you want from your audience
• Keep the conversation going

Meaghan Edelstien wrote a great article further defining these goals.

As a public relations student and an avid social media user, I am constantly analyzing how companies use promotions and contests via social media to enhance their images. Below are two examples of of promotions and contests using social media.  I personally implemented one and I thought the other was a great, recent example of what one company has done to promote its image.

For example, as an ASU student I play a very active role in student government.  In August, we went through a branding effort and had to rebuild our social community.  The way our PR team did this by giving out ASU football tickets on our Facebook and Twitter pages.  The contest worked well and we were able to engage students and promote ASU at the same time!

Here is a more drastic example with a more immediate result:

Sauce Pizza & Wine is a local chain located in Phoenix. They are part of a greater chain of restaurants called Fox Concept Restaurants.  Fox Concepts launched a Facebook page for Sauce on January 11th.  In return for “liking” its Facebook page, fans received a buy one get one free coupon. Since its launch a little over two weeks ago, over 540 people have “liked” Sauce.

As you can see, people are “sharing” and commenting on the coupon.  This engagement is shown on fans’ newsfeeds, so they are promoting the brand as well.

Tags: engagement, Facebook, Fox Concept Restaurants, Sauce

Rules of Engagement

Social media has completely revolutionized the way a company identifies with its client and the way a client identifies with a company. The expectation used to be that a company would relate with its customer in-house.  All comments, good or bad, about the company would not be aired publicly, and the status quo was that the company knew what was best for the client.  This is no longer the case.  The public decides what it wants from a company.  This is why the way a company engages with a client is key, and why social media and websites such as Facebook and Twitter have become companies new best friends.

Social media websites allow a company to have one on one contact with the public.  The question is, with such a large audience, how do you engage the public and have a beneficial relationship?   I think there certain steps a company must take to create and maintain a rapport with its public.

• First, ask questions. What does the client want?  If the company has an idea in mind, ask the audience what they think!
• Secondly, a company needs to listen. If a customer doesn’t feel like they’re being heard, they’re more likely to move onto something else.  If a customer feels like their voice matters, they’re more likely to engage the company on a more regular basis.
• Thirdly, a company needs to update their accounts on a regular basis.  If a customer feels like a company isn’t putting in the effort, way why should they?
• Last, but perhaps the most important, know your audience.

James Horton’s article provides more information about the types of people companies want to engage and how to engage those audiences.  After all, engaging your audience means nothing if you’re not engaging the one you want.

For example, say I’m promoting a new product that targets an audience between the ages of 20 and 30.  If I have a page on Facebook and am asking questions about my product, I’m going to want people in that age demographic to respond.  If people outside that demographic respond, the information isn’t as valuable.  You need to update your information based on your audience and the audience you are trying to solicit.

Tags: engagement, social media